POV: Ethan (Captain)
The whistle blew out on the field, but Ethan wasn't there to hear it. He sat slouched on the bleachers tucked behind the gym, head buried in his hands, trying to unknot the mess spinning inside him.
She lied. About everything.
He should have been out there leading warm-ups. Coach would be pissed. The team would be confused. But Ethan couldn't face them right now. Couldn't face the field where he'd trained beside someone who didn't even exist.
All those moments he'd trusted Alex. All the times he'd defended him against whispers, against Mateo's suspicions, against Madison's constant digs. Every single conversation replayed in his head now, tainted. Every laugh, every joke, every moment he'd felt that pull toward someone he thought was his teammate.
His. Not his. Her.
And now? Lies stacked on top of lies, every single day since the moment they met.
